Early Life
Grigory Berezkin was born on August 9, 1966, in Moscow, Russia. He graduated from the Chemistry Department of Moscow State University in 1988 with a degree in Petrochemistry. He completed his postgraduate studies in 1991 and defended his thesis in 1993. From 1991 to 1994, he worked as a junior researcher at Moscow State University.
Rise to Success
Berezkin's business career began in the early 1990s. He started by processing cables for oil submersible pumps. In 1992, he co-founded the Slavyanka company, which later became the basis for the Seventh Continent supermarket chain. In 1993, Berezkin entered the oil trade and met Roman Abramovich. Under Abramovich's influence, he became deputy general director of Komineft in 1994. He was also involved in the creation of the KomiTEK holding. Berezkin's involvement in the energy sector grew. In 2006, he sold a portion of Rusenergosbyt to Enel.
Key Business Strategies
Berezkin is the owner and chairman of the Board of Directors of ESN Group, a holding company with investments in the energy, engineering, media, and venture investment fields. He acquired a 65% stake in the RBC media holding in 2017. In 2015, he was named Russia's best Independent Director.
Philanthropy
While the exact amounts of Berezkin's philanthropic contributions are difficult to ascertain from the available search results, he has been involved in philanthropic activities, as evidenced by his role on the Board of Trustees of Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Board of Trustees of the “Navstrechu Peremenam” (Towards Changes) foundation to support social entrepreneurship.